2021

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild emphasise the critical importance of strengthening African research universities in a wholistic way, calling to action the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), national governments, public science bodies, and universities and their communities themselves.

Following the progress report of the Slovenian presidency, circulated at the end of November, The Guild voices its concerns on the burdens the European Commission’s proposal for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act may impose on research and researchers and calls for the Commission to involve researchers in the future monitoring and amendment processes of the Act.

The third instalment of The Guild’s virtual seminar, organised together with the University of Tartu on 29 November 2021, drew attention to the role of universities in integrating international students in local labour markets.

Bringing together 250 participants from across Europe and Africa, The Guild and the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) organised a virtual conference on 22 November 2021 to discuss how R&I should become central to the AU-EU partnership in a sustainable way.

The Guild calls for the new European Research Area (ERA) to develop and implement a holistic vision to strengthen and deepen excellence in less R&I performing (Widening) countries.

The Guild joins 19 European research and innovation actors in calling for research and innovation to be placed at the core of the debates within the Conference on the Future of Europe.

With the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, taking place in Glasgow, The Guild’s universities are stressing the critical contributions universities can and must make to accelerate action towards the Paris Agreement goals. The Guild shares highlights from its member universities on how the institutions, researchers and students are leading the change towards environmental sustainability, connecting the institutional, social, economic, technological and scientific responses needed to respond to the climate crisis.

The European Union’s research and innovation community representing over 1,000 universities and universities of applied sciences, 56 academies of science, 38 research performing and funding organisations, 33 rectors’ conferences, as well as 120 regional organisations, call for the European Commission and President Ursula von der Leyen to finalise the United Kingdom’s association to Horizon Europe immediately.

With the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, taking place in Glasgow, The Guild’s universities are stressing the critical contributions universities can and must make to accelerate action towards the Paris Agreement goals. The Guild shares highlights from its member universities on how the institutions, researchers and students are leading the change towards environmental sustainability, connecting the institutional, social, economic, technological and scientific responses needed to respond to the climate crisis.

With the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, taking place in Glasgow, The Guild’s universities are stressing the critical contributions universities can and must make to accelerate action towards the Paris Agreement goals. The Guild shares highlights from its member universities on how the institutions, researchers and students are leading the change towards environmental sustainability, connecting the institutional, social, economic, technological and scientific responses needed to respond to the climate crisis.

On 22 October, The Guild’s Presidents gathered for their general assembly, at a time when the Commission and the Council are articulating key strategic initiatives in research, innovation and education.

As the EU reforms its Guiding Principles for Knowledge Valorisation, The Guild calls for dedicated funding streams for knowledge transfer activities, and capacity-building measures to enhance the capacities of researchers and technology transfer offices to innovate.

Over 200 scientists are calling to strengthen the African research capacities in environmental sciences, voicing their support for the joint initiative of The Guild and the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). The signatories emphasise the importance of safeguarding biodiversity and Africa’s natural resources, and highlight the critical role the new generation of African scientists will play on this.

On 7 October, the African Research University Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild organised a virtual info session on EU calls focused on funding opportunities for strategic partnerships, collaborative doctoral training and institutional mobility schemes open for researchers and students in African and European universities.

Responding to the Competitiveness Council meeting of 28 September, The Guild reaffirms its support for the draft Council Conclusions in three key areas. The Guild also joins 15 higher education networks in urging the Commission and the member states to include stakeholders in the co-creation and implementation of ERA governance.

Organised by Aarhus University and the Centre for Higher Education Futures (CHEF) on 23 September, The Guild’s second virtual seminar focused on new types of quality standards needed to address new educational challenges: standards that work for students, academics and policy-makers.

The European Strategy for Universities and The Commission’s initiative to reform the research assessment system were among the key topics discussed at The Guild’s Vice-Presidents’ meeting on 9 September.

The Guild joins 50 scholarly organisations in urging European governments and EU institutions to take immediate action and provide help for scholars, researchers, students, and civil society actors in Afghanistan. 

In 2020-2021, The Guild network grew by one new member, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, the most highly ranked university on the Iberian Peninsula. Amidst the changes the pandemic has brought, the Guild’s Presidents reflected the key trends and challenges facing Europe’s universities in the coming decade.

The African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE) programme is currently open for applications. The Guild, together with the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), organised a webinar on 13 July to support and provide information for the researchers applying for the novel programme.

The Guild Summer School, hosted by the University of Glasgow, is taking place on 5-9 July. Bringing together almost fifty PhD candidates from multiple disciplines and from across Europe, this year’s Summer School zooms in on research communication.

Organised together with the University of Warwick, The Guild’s virtual seminar explored the potential of lifelong learning models, as representatives from European University alliances, the European Commission and EdTech providers debated the concrete benefits and challenges of flexible learning and micro-credentials. The seminar also provided a timely contribution to the European Commission’s public consultation on micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability which is open until 13 July.

The Guild voices its concerns regarding the existing regulatory frameworks on health data which are putting medical research in Europe under a threat. Access to a large volume and diverse range of data is crucial for the improvement of diagnostic techniques and treatments, and for preventive and health strategies.

National Rectors’ Conferences, in cooperation with the European University Association, unite in calling for a European long-term commitment to strengthen the research excellence of African universities through ‘Clusters of Excellence’. This research capacity is essential, they argue, for the African Union’s Agenda 2063 to be realised.